Networked barcode verification system

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are described for barcode verification. Optionally, a barcode scanner/imager is coupled to a verification system over a network. The verification system receives over the network barcode data associated with an item, such as a ticket, and associated information. The verification system uses the barcode data and associated information to determine if the barcode is valid and corresponds to an identified event. The verification system transmits a verification result.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/716,616 filed Mar. 3, 2010 which claims the benefit under of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/158,237, filed Mar. 6, 2009. Each ofthese applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entiretyfor all purposes.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED R&D

Not applicable

PARTIES OF JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, TABLE, OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING

Not applicable

COPYRIGHT RIGHTS

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patentdocument or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent andTrademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to barcodes, and in particular to barcodeprocessing and verification.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the advent of the Internet, transactions are often performed overcomputer networks between two entities that have not conducted previoustransactions with each other. Further, the location and even theidentity of one entity may be unknown to the other entity. Thus,transactions often carry significant uncertainty and risk. Manyconventional transfer systems fail to provide adequate security andauthenticity verification for such online transactions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Methods and systems for processing and verifying documents are describedherein.

Certain example embodiments utilize codes, such as barcodes and relatedinformation to verify the authenticity of a document, such as a ticket.For example, optionally the barcode data associated with a ticket may beoptically scanned using an imaging device (e.g., a barcode scanner, acamera, etc.) and the digital image of the barcode data is thentransmitted to a verification system. The imaging device may be includedin a kiosk, turnstile, handheld device, wireless phone, or may be acamera connected to a user computer. The verification system thenanalyzes the digital image to extract and decode the encoded data.Optionally, instead or in addition, a user manually types in a codecorresponding to the barcode. Optionally instead, the code is anidentification code that is not associated with a barcode.

In addition, the verification system receives other data related to thedocument. For example, with respect to a ticket, corresponding eventidentification may be received. Optionally, seat location information(e.g., section, row, and/or seat number) is also received. Theverification system uses to the code and some or all of the additionalinformation to determine whether the document is valid. The verificationsystem can then provide a verification indication to a user and/or athird party system (e.g., associated with a ticket resale service).

An example embodiment comprises a barcode verification systemcomprising: a barcode interface configured to receive barcode dataassociated with a ticket barcode associated with a ticketed event,wherein the barcode data was obtained via a barcode imaging device at afirst location or was manually entered; an interface configured toreceive seating and event data manually provided by a first useroffering the ticket and/or by a second user seeking to acquire theticket; a data store stored that stores: barcode data for issued ticketsassociated for the ticketed event; event data associated with the issuedtickets; seating data associated with the issued tickets; transferpermission data associated with the issued tickets; code stored inmemory, that when executed by a computing device is configured toperform verification operations comprising: determine if the receivedbarcode data is in accordance with a first specified format; determineif the received barcode data corresponds to barcode data stored in thedata store; when the received barcode data corresponds to barcode datastored in the data store, determine if the received event datacorresponds to the event data associated with the issued tickets for theevent; determine if the received seating data corresponds to barcodedata stored in the data store; determine if the received barcode data isassociated with a ticket that is not to be transferred via at least afirst transaction type; transmit a positive verification and transferright indication based at least in part on the determination that: thereceived barcode data is in accordance with a first specified format;the received barcode data corresponds to barcode data stored in the datastore; the received event data corresponds to the event data associatedwith the issued tickets for the event; and the received seating datacorresponds to barcode data stored in the data store.

An example embodiment comprises a method of verifying a barcode,comprising: receiving at a ticket posting system, the ticket postingsystem including at least one computing device, a ticket posting requestby a first user, the ticket posting request including barcode data,event data, and seating data associated with a ticket offer;transmitting a verification request over a network to a verificationsystem, the verification request including the barcode data and the seatdata; receiving at the ticket posting system an indication as towhether: the barcode data corresponds to a valid ticket, for an eventcorresponding to the event data, the ticket is associated with a seatcorresponding to the seat data, and is transferable by the first user;if the verification indicates that: the barcode data does not correspondto a valid ticket, or if the verification indicates that: that thebarcode data corresponds to a ticket for an event different than thatcorresponding to the event data, is associated with a seat that does notcorrespond to the seat data, and/or is not transferable by the firstuser, inhibiting the posting of the ticket; if the verificationindicates that: the barcode data does correspond to a valid ticket, foran event corresponding to the event data, that the ticket is associatedwith a seat corresponding to the seat data, and is transferable by thefirst user; enabling the first user to post the ticket for transfer; if,after the ticket is posted for transfer a successful transfer operationis performed with respect to a second user, transmitting a request for anew barcode over the network to a barcode issuing system, the barcoderequest including an indication that the ticket is being transferred;receiving over the network a new barcode associated by the barcodeissuing system with the ticket; enabling the ticket to be provided tothe second user with the new barcode.

An example embodiment comprises program code stored in non-transitory,tangible computer readable memory that when executed by a computingdevice is configured to: receive barcode data associated with a ticketbarcode associated with a ticketed event; receive seating and event datamanually provided by a first user offering the ticket and/or by a seconduser seeking to acquire the ticket; store in a data store: barcode datafor issued tickets associated for the ticketed event; event dataassociated with the issued tickets; seating data associated with theissued tickets; transfer permission data associated with the issuedtickets; determine if the received barcode data is in accordance with afirst specified format; determine if the received barcode datacorresponds to barcode data stored in the data store; when the receivedbarcode data corresponds to barcode data stored in the data store,determine if the received event data corresponds to the event dataassociated with the issued tickets for the event; determine if thereceived seating data corresponds to barcode data stored in the datastore; determine if the received barcode data is associated with aticket that is not to be transferred via at least a first transactiontype; transmit a positive verification and transfer right indicationbased at least in part on the determination that: the received barcodedata is in accordance with a first specified format; the receivedbarcode data corresponds to barcode data stored in the data store; thereceived event data corresponds to the event data associated with theissued tickets for the event; and the received seating data correspondsto barcode data stored in the data store.

An example embodiment provides a verification system comprising: aninterface configured to receive coded data associated with a ticket fora ticketed event; a data store stored that stores: coded data for issuedtickets associated for the ticketed event; event data associated withthe issued tickets; seating data associated with the issued tickets;code stored in non-transitory memory, that when executed by a computingdevice is configured to: determine if the received coded data is inaccordance with a first specified format; determine if the receivedcoded data corresponds to coded data stored in the data store; determineif event data received in association with the coded data corresponds tothe event data associated with the issued tickets for the event;transmit a positive verification based at least in part on thedetermination that: the received coded data is in accordance with afirst specified format; the received coded data corresponds to codeddata stored in the data store; and the received event data correspondsto the event data associated with the issued tickets for the event.

An example embodiment provides a method of verifying a ticket,comprising: receiving coded data associated with a ticket for a ticketedevent; determining, using a computing device, if the received coded datais in accordance with a first specified format; determining, via thecomputing device, if the received coded data corresponds to coded datastored in a data store; determining, via the computing device, if eventdata received in association with the coded data corresponds to eventdata associated with an issued ticket for the event; and transmitting,via the computing device, a positive verification based at least in parton the determination that: the received coded data is in accordance witha first specified format; the received coded data corresponds to codeddata stored in the data store; and the received event data correspondsto the event data associated with the issued ticket for the event.

An example embodiment provides a method of verifying a ticket,comprising: receiving coded data associated with a ticket for a ticketedevent; optionally determining, using a computing device, if the receivedcoded data is in accordance with a first specified format; optionallydetermining, via the computing device, if the received coded datacorresponds to coded data stored in a data store; optionallydetermining, via the computing device, if event data received inassociation with the coded data corresponds to event data associatedwith an issued ticket for the event; optionally determining, via thecomputing device, if the received coded data is associated with a ticketthat is not to be transferred via at least a first transaction type; andtransmitting, via the computing device, a positive verification based atleast in part on the determination that: the received coded data is inaccordance with a first specified format; the received coded datacorresponds to coded data stored in the data store; and/or the receivedevent data corresponds to the event data associated with the issuedticket for the event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawingssummarized below. These drawings and the associated description areprovided to illustrate example embodiments, and not to limit the scopeof the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example system embodiment that can be used inconjunction with processes described herein.

FIGS. 2A-D illustrate example document posting and verificationprocesses.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example posting editing process.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example posting cancellation process.

FIGS. 5A-C illustrate example user interfaces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Described herein are systems and methods for performing authenticationof documents or instruments. For example, certain embodiments may beutilized to verify that a ticket (e.g., a voucher to indicate that onehas paid for or is entitled to admission to a theatre, sporting event,concert, lecture, amusement park, zoo, aquarium, museum, or otherattraction/event, or entitled to travel on an airplane, public transit,train, or other mode of transportation, and may indicate that the holderis entitled to use a specific seat) is authentic. Certain embodimentsprovide barcode verification for tickets being transferred, even whenthe tickets are being transferred (e.g., as part of a resale process) bya system other than the original ticket issuer system.

Transactions involving tickets, and in particular event tickets, havegreatly increased with the advent of online ticket transactions. Thisincrease has been particularly notable with respect to resaletransactions. For example, many season ticket holders for sportingevents are often unable to attend one or more games during thecorresponding season. Thus, rather than simply allow their seats toremain empty, a season ticket holder may seek to transfer (e.g., via aresale) one or more game tickets to another party. The resale may beconducted via a service offered by the original ticket issuer, or viathe performer or promoter. By way of further example, the resale may beprovided via a third party service, such as an auction site, a ticketbroker that resells tickets on behalf of itself and/or other parties, oran online classified advertisement site.

Because many of these transactions involve buyers and sellers that donot know one another, and where the buyer may be unaware of the seller'sname, address, or other important information, a great deal of risk ispresent in many such transactions. All too often, buyers learn to theirdismay that the ticket they purchased in what was purported to be aresale, turns out to be a counterfeit. In certain instances, such aswhen the ticket is purchased through certain brokers, the broker mayrefund the purchaser money. In other instances, no refund may beforthcoming. However, even in instance where the purchaser obtains arefund after being denied entry at the ticketed event, the purchaserstill misses the event, and already went to the trouble and expense ofdriving to the event, paying for parking, babysitters, and/or othergenerally non-reimbursed expense. Thus, such refunds are generallyunsatisfactory.

Further, many ticket resale services are limited in how they can delivertickets. For example, most conventional resale services simply providefor the mailing or hand delivery of the original tickets to the newbuyer, which is time consuming and relatively expensive. Thus, forexample, most ticket resale services do not provide for pickup of aticket via a will call ticket office or via download from a website.

In addition, conventionally, because disparate databases of differentsystems (such as that of an initial ticket seller system and that of areseller ticket system), controlled by different entities, may includedifferent portions of the sale history of a ticket, the various systemslack a mechanism to verify that a given ticket being resold, isauthentic.

In order to overcome some or all of the foregoing deficiencies andtechnical challenges, an example embodiment enables a purchaser toreceive verification that a ticket is indeed genuine, even when theticket is being purchased as a resold ticket. By way of example, when apurchaser has initiated a transaction with the seller (e.g., a user thathad previously purchased a ticket (a single ticket or a season ticket)),the seller may automatically, or in response to a seller and/or buyeraction, be asked to provide ticket identification information to atrusted verification system. Optionally, the verification system may beincluded in a ticket system that originally issued tickets being resold.

Optionally, the seller may be requested by a posting system to providesuch ticket identification information for analysis by a trustedverification system even before the seller's tickets are accepted forposting.

The term “ticket”, as used herein, can encompass electronic tickets orphysical tickets. Further, the tickets can be delivered electronicallyor physically. For example, a ticket can be in the form of a printedticket, a code, an electronic token, an association with an existingidentifier, a membership card, or otherwise. A ticket can be deliveredwirelessly, downloaded to a computer terminal for printing by therecipient, emailed to a recipient, or otherwise delivered.

One or more of the systems described herein is configured to receiveand/or process identification/authentication information received froman identification/authentication input device, such as input device(e.g., a barcode scanner, a character reader, a smart card reader, anRFID reader, a biometric reader (e.g., a fingerprint, palm print, irisscanner, etc.), a keypad (e.g., a physical or touch ASCII or sub-ASCIIkeyboard for receiving a ticket identifier, user identifier, ticketholder identifier, etc.), etc). The received data may then beauthenticated as described herein.

For example, optionally, the user keys in a code corresponding to aticket barcode (e.g., printed adjacent to the barcode and correspondingto data encoded in the barcode) via a keyboard (e.g., a user terminalkeyboard). Optionally in addition or instead, an input device (e.g., abarcode reader, camera, etc.) optionally scans tickets (which can be aphysical ticket or an electronic ticket, such as one stored in a mobilephone and displayed by a mobile phone display, or a smart card bearing aticket token) or otherwise receives ticket information (ticket codes,ticket holder codes, and/or ticket purchaser codes) from a user or aticket-bearing device. The term “scan” as used herein is intended toencompass photographs.

By way of example, ticket information is provided via a barcode thatoptionally includes start and stop markers, a checksum, and/or quietzones, in addition to the encoded message. Optionally, one or more ofthe following barcode formats may be used: Code 39, Extended Code 39,Code 128, UCC/EAN-128, Industrial 2 of 5 Planet, Interleaved 2 of 5,Codabar, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN 13, EAN 8, BOOKLAND, MSI, Code 11, Code 93,PDF417, POSTNET, PLANET. Other formats, including proprietary formats,may be used as well.

The input device optionally is also configured to read one or more typesof identification devices (e.g., by optically, magnetically,electronically, and/or wirelessly reading data embodiment on a creditcard, student ID, membership card, driver license magnetic stripe, smartcard, passport tags, etc.). For example, the input device optionallyreads magnetic stripes, machine readable characters, RFID tags, datastored in computer readable memory, etc. The input device optionallyincludes a biometric scanner configured to read one or more physicalattributes of a ticket holder (e.g., fingerprint, palm, veins, retina,iris, voice, face, body, etc.).

For example, the seller may be asked to take a picture or scan of abarcode (e.g., a one dimensional or two dimension barcode) on the ticketbeing sold (e.g., via a web camera connected to a user terminalassociated with the seller, via a picture taken with a standalone cameraor cell phone camera, via an LED-based barcode scanner, or otherwise),and upload the barcode image or scan to the verification system or tothe system via which the ticket is to be posted for resell (e.g., anauction system, a fixed price system, or a system that supports bothauction and fixed price sales). Optionally, the seller and/or the buyermay be asked to provide a locator (e.g., a URL (Uniform ResourceLocator), path name, etc.) corresponding to the seller posting.Optionally, instead or in addition, the system hosting the sellerposting may automatically (or in response to a seller and/or buyeraction) pass the URL and/or other posting information to theverification system. For example, some or all of the followinginformation may be passed to the verification system: name of the event,date of the event, time of the event, city/town/county/state of theevent, event venue, etc.

The verification system optionally uses the posting locator to accessinformation regarding tags/field names used by the system hosting theposting. For example, the verification system can use the locatoraddress to access from a verification database the data associated withtags/field names used by the posting service associated with the postinglocator address. By way of illustration, an example posting service mayhave the following fields/tags (although fewer, additional, or differentfields/tags may be used and/or different field/tag names may be used):

EventName

EventDate

EventTime

EventCity

EventState

EventVenue

TicketQuantity

SeatIdentifier_(1 (seat identifier for first seat associated with ticket(s)))

SeatIdentifier_(n (seat identifier for n) _(th)_(seat associated with ticket(s)))

AskingPrice

By way of further example, another posting service hosted by a postingsystem may include the following fields/tags:

PerformerName

Date

Time

Venue

City

Venue

SeatLocation(s)

Price

The verification system can use the tag/field information to identifycorresponding information in the seller posting (e.g., some or all ofthe following: name of the event, date of the event, time of the event,city/town/county/state of the event, event venue, etc.). Thisinformation can then be used in the verification process, as discussedin greater detail herein.

Optionally, the posting information may also or instead be provided bythe seller and/or buyer, or pushed to the verification system by theposting system. Optionally, the asking ticket price is not transferred(e.g., inhibited from being transferred) from the posting system to theverification system. Optionally, a final sales price is transferred fromthe posting system to the verification system (e.g., once the sale iscomplete).

Optionally, the verification system analyzes the barcode data todetermine if it corresponds to a valid barcode. The barcode maycorrespond to a unique ticket code assigned by the original ticketissuer and stored in a ticket database for later reference. For example,a valid barcode may need to comply with a certain format. Theverification can examine the barcode data to determine whether itcomplies with a specified format.

If verification system determines the barcode format of the ticketoffered for sale is not valid, optionally, the seller is offered anotheropportunity to upload the barcode (e.g., in case the sellerinadvertently uploaded the barcode for a ticket different than the onethat is the subject of the purchase transaction, or in case the uploadimage is of poor quality) and/or otherwise provide the ticket barcode(e.g., by manually entering corresponding barcode data printed on theticket using a keyboard). Optionally instead, after the seller hasfailed to provide a properly formatted barcode after a certain number ofattempts (e.g., a maximum threshold number of attempts specified by anoperator and stored in the verification systems memory), a notificationis sent to the purchaser (and optionally the seller) indicating that theverification process has failed. At this point the purchaser (andoptionally the seller) is provided the option to terminate the saleprocess, or the sale process may be automatically terminated by theverification system and/or by the posting system.

If the verification system determines that the barcode format is a validformat (assuming the optional format check is performed), theverification system then accesses a ticket database that stores barcodedata corresponding to barcodes on issued, valid tickets. The databasemay optionally be associated with the original ticket issuer (e.g., aticket system of which the verification system is a part) or mayassociated with another entity that stores information on valid ticketbarcodes. The seller provided barcode data may be compared againstbarcode data for valid tickets accessed from the database. If theseller-provided barcode data matches that of a valid barcode in thedatabase, then related ticket information is accessed from the ticketdatabase or other source. By way of illustration, the related ticketinformation may include seating and/or event information.

For example, the ticket information may include some or all of thefollowing data and/or other data: event identifier code (event ID), nameof the event, date of the event, time of the event,city/town/county/state of the event, event venue, seat identifier (e.g.,seating section, seating row, seat number/letter, or if generaladmission, a general admission designation, optionally including ageneral admission section area, such as floor or balcony),identification of the current registered ticket holder, etc. Theverification system then compares some or all of the ticket informationwith the posting information, and if there is a match, the buyer and/orseller are optionally provided with an indication that the verificationprocess has determined that the ticket is authenticate.

In order for there to be a “match”, different thresholds may optionallybe set (e.g., by an operator) in the verification system memory. Forexample, all information may be required to match, a subset ofinformation may be required to match, or a certain percentage or minimumamount of information may be required to match. By way of example andnot limitation, the matching threshold may be set to 3 out of 5 types ofinformation must match. By way of further example and not limitation,the matching criteria may specify that certain information is requiredto match, such as the seat identifier, event name, date, and city, and 2out of 3 pieces of other information must match, such as, by way ofexample, 2 out of 3 of the following: registered ticket holder name,venue name, time of the event.

If the verification process fails (e.g., because the posting informationdoes not “match” the ticket information), the purchaser (and optionallythe seller) is so informed. At this point the purchaser (and optionallythe seller) is provided the option to terminate the sale process, or thesale process may be automatically terminated by the verification systemand/or by the posting system.

Optionally, rather than or in addition to comparing information from theticket database with the seller posting information, the verificationsystem accesses the ticket information from the ticket database andtransmits it for display to the buyer (and optionally the seller). Thebuyer can then verify that the ticket information corresponds to theticket that the buyer wants to purchase.

Status changes related to a ticket can be stored in databases associatedwith one or more systems (e.g., the ticket system, the posting system,and/or the verification system). For example, when a ticket is offeredfor resale, a corresponding status notation is stored. If a potentialbuyer has initiated a purchase of the ticket, a reserved status notationis stored. Similarly, when a ticket resale has been performed, acorresponding status notation is stored, optionally in association withthe sales price. Optionally, an indication is stored when the ticket isresold by someone who does not have an account with one or morespecified systems (e.g., the ticket system, the posting system, and/orthe verification system).

If an event is cancelled, in an example embodiment, the transactionrecord (of the resale of the ticket to the buyer) is used to determinewho is to receive the refund (if any). For example, when an eventcancellation notification is received at the appropriate system (e.g.,the posting system and/or the verification system), the system accessesthe ticketing database to determine who is currently recorded as owningtickets for the event. For example, if a resale has occurred, asdescribed above, the system will have a record of the new purchaser asowning the corresponding ticket. Therefore, the system will process arefund to the new purchaser. Optionally, the purchaser of the ticketreceives a cancellation refund from the third party from which thepurchaser purchased the ticket. Optionally, the seller who firstpurchased the ticket via the ticketing system would be provided a refundvia the ticketing system operator that made the first sale of theticket.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example architecture that can be utilized withcertain embodiments. A ticket system 102 includes one or more servers104. The servers 104 may be separate computers or may be operatingconcurrently on the same computer. The ticket system 102 can includeaccount manager servers, a verification system, a credit cardauthorization system, an internal network, request routers, data andstatus queues, and an interface to one or more networks 120, optionallyincluding the Internet. The ticket system 102 can host a Web siteaccessible by users for searching for, purchasing, transferring, andselling tickets. The ticket system 102 can include one or more databaseswhose data can be accessed as needed. For example, the databases caninclude a user account database 106, that stores user contactinformation, billing information, preferences, account status, ticketinventory currently held and historically held by the user (and theassociated ticket statuses), settlement information, and the like, thatcan be accessed by the ticket computer system, such as by accountmanager servers.

The ticket system 102 optionally includes a database 108 that storesrules indicating which ticket may be posted for resale, barcode data forevent tickets, the status of tickets (such as described below), eventdata (e.g., event identifier, performer/sports team name, event venue,event date, event time, whether the event has been cancelled, whetherthe event has been rescheduled, etc.), venue data (e.g., seating chartsand information, such as section/row/seat number data), and so on.

By way of example, a ticket status indicator may optionally indicatewhether the ticket is locked, unlocked, transferred, posted, resold,reserved, complementary, not permitted to be resold, etc.

The rules may optionally indicate whether some or all of the followingstatuses should prevent/inhibit a ticket from being resold (e.g., inresponse to ticket posting request, optionally including barcode dataassociated with a ticket posting request): barcode will not decode,event id mismatch, event expired, event is inaccessible, wrong barcodemode, series seat, seat type mismatch, reissued ticket, tickets are fornon-adjacent seats, account not balanced, lock failed, tickets arealready locked, tickets are reserved (indicating that another user isalready in the purchase process for the tickets), event cancelled,tickets already posted, event date has past or insufficient time beforeevent to process ticket transfer/resale, event is not bar-coded/barcodeis invalid, tickets are not fully paid for, tickets are complimentarytickets that may not be resold, ticket holder is restricted fromreselling tickets, tickets have already been transferred, tickets havealready been resold, tickets have added credit assigned, tickets havebeen transferred to a card, barcode does not belong to the eventprovided in the request, barcode is invalid/no longer active as a resultof a resale process or other process.

An API (application programming interface) may be associated with theticket system via which third party systems, such as a third partyticket resale system 112, may communicate with the ticket system. Forexample, the API may define routines, data structures, object classesand/or protocols to be used in communicating with the ticket system 102(and the associated verification system).

The ticket resale system 112 likewise includes one or more servers 113.The servers 113 may be separate computers or may be operatingconcurrently on the same computer. The resale system 112 can includeaccount manager servers, a credit card authorization system, an internalnetwork, request routers, data and status queues, and an interface toone or more networks 120, optionally including the Internet. The resalesystem 112 can host a Web site accessible by users, for searching for,purchasing, transferring, and selling tickets. The resale system 112 caninclude one or more databases whose data can be accessed as needed. Forexample, the databases can include a user account database 115 whichstores user contact information, billing information, preferences,account status, ticket inventory currently held and historically held bythe user (and the associated ticket statuses), settlement information,and/or other information.

Buyers and sellers may access the ticket system 102 and/or the resalesystem 112 via corresponding user terminals 114, 116.

As will now be described with reference to the figures, in an exampleprocess, a seller (e.g., of a holder of a single event ticket or aseason ticket holder) posts a ticket for sale on a posting site (e.g.,associated with the original ticket issuer, performer, promoter, a thirdparty auction and/or fixed price hosting site). Optionally, the sellercan edit the posting (e.g., change the item description, price, or otherinformation) and/or cancel the posting via the posting site or otherinterface.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, at state 202A, the ticket holder/user logsonto the ticket system, and accesses the ticket holder's ticketingaccount (e.g., hosted by a ticket system or by a system that has accessto the ticket holder's account). The account may store a record oftickets owned by the ticket holder. At state 204A, the system uses theticket holder identification information (e.g., login information) toaccess from the ticket system ticketing database information regardingthe tickets currently owned/controlled by the ticket holder.

The accessed information is provided to a terminal for display to theticket holder, including a listing of some or all of the ticketsowned/controlled by the ticket holder. The ticket holder selects one ormore tickets that the ticket holder wants to sell (e.g., by clicking ona sell control/field displayed alongside a given ticket listing).Optionally, the listing includes an indication (e.g., via text or theabsence of an associated sell control) as to whether there is aprohibition or restriction on the ticket holder reselling a given listedticket. Optionally, the ticket holder is prevented from selecting such aticket for resale. For example, the ticket system database may indicatethat certain event tickets may not be resold because of the ticket type(e.g., the tickets were provided as complimentary tickets by theperformer or as part of a event promotion), or the ticket holder status(e.g., the ticket holder has a past due account balance, or has resoldmore than a threshold number of tickets in a specified period of time).

Optionally, in addition to the event tickets, information regardingrelated items/events is also displayed via the ticket holder terminal.For example, prepaid/free parking and/or prepaid/free concessions may belisted. Optionally, the ticket holder may only be allowed to resell arelated item/event if the primary admission ticket for the event isbeing sold with the related event/item. The ticket system will thusinhibit the resale of a related item separate from the associated eventticket.

At state 205A, the ticket system receives a ticket holder selection of asell option (e.g., provide by the ticket holder by activation of a sellcontrol).

At state 206A, the ticket system optionally directs the ticket holderbrowser to a transition user interface informing the ticket holder thata transition to another operator's website is taking place.

At state 207A, the ticket system transmits a payload ID (e.g., over anetwork) directly or indirectly to the ticket posting site (e.g., thatof the ticket issuer, performer, a third party, etc.). The payload IDcan be used to identify the session and ticket information used duringthe posting request. At state 208A, the posting site uses the payload IDto make a request over the network to the ticket system for sellerinformation and/or ticket inventory information. The payload ID isoptionally used as a token to authenticate the request and to lookupcustomer account information (that of the ticket holder in thisexample), including customer ticket inventory information.

At state 210A, the seller information and ticket inventory informationare returned by the ticket system to the posting system. For example,some or all of the following information is provided: an event code(e.g., an event ID identifying the event), event information (e.g.,event name, event time, event city/state, venue name), ticket seatinginformation (e.g., section/row/seat), a ticket identifier (e.g.,encrypted barcode information for subsequent requests), and selleraccount information which can be mapped to the posting system/ticketholder's account. The seller account information advantageously enablesfuture redirects to be performed in a streamlined manner for thecustomer. The seller account information can include some or all of thefollowing (and/or other data):

Account ID (identifier) associated with the ticket holder's postingsystem account

Account ID (identifier) associated with the ticket holder's ticketsystem account

First Name

Last Name

Middle Name

Title

Prefix

Suffix

Address

City

State

ZIP Code

E-mail Address

Home Phone

Work Phone

Mobile Phone

The posting system stores the returned information in posting systemmemory.

At state 212A, the ticket holder is redirected from the ticket system toa log-in user interface (e.g., provided via a Webpage) associated withthe posting system. If the ticket holder has an account with the postingsystem, then optionally the ticket holder is automatically logged in(e.g., where the ticket holder browser has the login password and userID and can populate the login field). Optionally the user isautomatically logged in without presenting a log-in user interface.Optionally, the ticket holder manually logs in to the posting system viathe log-in user interface by entering a user identifier and/or password.If the ticket holder does not have an account with the posting system,optionally the posting systems asks the ticket holder to establish anaccount.

At state 214A, the posting system provides a user interface for displayto the ticket holder. By way of example and not limitation, the sellermay be asked to provide some or all of the following information and/orother information:

-   -   first name, last name, address, e-mail address;    -   event code;    -   ticket category (e.g., sporting event, concert event, theater,        movie, etc.);        -   if the ticket is for a sporting event: the type of sport            (e.g., baseball, football, basketball, etc.); the league, if            any (Major League Baseball, National Football League,            National Basketball Association, etc.); an indication as to            whether the tickets are for a regular search game, a            training game, a playoff game, an exhibition game, etc.; the            team name; the specific game (e.g., identified by data,            time, location);        -   if the ticket is for a concert, the performer name, the            data, time, venue, etc.    -   seating information, such as seat section, seat identifier        (e.g., row, seat number);    -   ticket barcode data;    -   number of tickets

The information provided by the ticket holder is stored in the postingsystem memory.

At state 216A, the posting system transmits a message to the ticketsystem indicating that the selected ticket is being or is about to beposted. The ticket system puts at least a temporary lock on the ticketto prevent or inhibit the ticket holder from transferring the ticket viathe ticket system except as instructed/permitted by the posting system.For example, if the ticket holder has notified that posting system thatthe ticket holder's ticket is no longer to be offered via the postingsystem (and the ticket has not yet been resold), the posting systemsends an “unlock” message to the ticket system so that the ticket holdercan transfer or sell the ticket via another channel.

At state 217A, the ticket system may perform a lock or unlock operationusing the ticket ID and/or the ticket barcode to access thecorresponding ticket record. At state 218A, the posting system transmitsa confirmation status message to the ticket system and/or otherdesignated recipient. Optionally, the message includes an indication asto whether the ticket holder is allowed to edit or cancel the posting.

In the foregoing example, the ticket holder optionally does not need topost or enter the ticket barcode as the ticket system has records ofwhat tickets are owned/controlled by the ticket system and the ticketsystem has authenticated that the ticket holder is providing the postinginstructions (e.g., via the log in information).

Optionally, rather than first accessing the ticket system website andthen being redirected to the posting website, the ticket holder maynavigate directly to the posting website in order to resell a ticket. Inthis example, the ticket holder provides the posting system with barcodedata (e.g., by entering text characters corresponding to the barcodeand/or an image of the barcode) so as to verify that the ticket holderis the holder of the tickets being posted. With reference to FIG. 2B, atstate 202B, the ticket holder logs into the posting system website inorder to post the holder's ticket(s). At state 204B, the posting systempresents a form to the ticket holder, as similarly discussed above.Optionally, the system is configured to receive bulk uploads ofbarcodes, which are then automatically validated and posted. This isparticularly beneficial for entities, such as ticket brokers, thatcontrol large numbers of tickets.

The form may include some or all of the following fields: first name,last name, address, e-mail address, event code, ticket seatinginformation, ticket identifier, barcode data. Certain of the fields maybe prepopulated from data previously provided by the ticket holder(e.g., first name, last name, address, e-mail address, event code, eventinformation, ticket seating information, ticket identifier). Otherinformation, such as asking price, may be manually entered into theform. The ticket holder enters the barcode information associated withthe ticket holder. For example, the ticket holder can type in orotherwise enter the code corresponding to the ticket barcode (e.g.,which the ticket holder ticket has a code printed underneath thebarcode).

In certain embodiments the form requests the ticket holder to provide avisual image of the barcode. By way of illustration, the ticket holdercan use a camera (e.g., a stand alone camera, a web cam, a cell phonecamera, or other camera) to take a picture of the barcode and thenupload the barcode picture by using the form provided by the ticketposting system (e.g., using a browse control that enables the ticketholder to browse the ticket holder's terminal or other system). Theticket holder may directly email the ticket to the posting system (whichcan then extract or scan the ticket barcode), or may electronically copyand paste the barcode (e.g., where the ticket was emailed to the ticketholder or was downloaded from a website) into a form (e.g., provided bythe ticket posting system). In some instances, a ticket may bedistributed with a scannable barcode in conjunction with an equivalentalphanumeric code. In such instances, optionally the form provided tothe ticket holder includes a field via which the user can enter thealphanumeric code instead of or in addition to an image of the ticketbarcode.

Optionally, the ticket holder enters the ticket price at this state.Optionally instead, the ticket holder is inhibited from entering theticket price until the barcode verification procedure is performed. Atstate 205B, the posting system receives the data, including the barcodedata/corresponding code, and the data is stored in memory.

At state 206B, the posting system transmits a verification request tothe ticket system. The verification request includes bar codeinformation and optionally some or all of the related informationprovided by the ticket holder. Optionally, the verification request mayalso include some or all of the following: an event identifier(previously assigned via the ticket system), a ticket identifierassigned by the posting system (which optionally is the ticket barcode),and a classification (e.g., indicating with the ticket is a standardticket or associated with event parking).

At state 207B, the barcode is validated (e.g., using techniquesdescribed herein) by the ticket system in response to the posting systemverification request. For example, the barcode data provided by theticket holder optionally has its format checked. If the format (e.g.,the number and type of characters) is valid, the barcode is compared tothose in the ticket system database to determine if there is a match. Ifthere is a match, the event data provided by the ticket holder iscompared with that associated with the matching barcode. If theycorrespond, the system indicates the ticket has been successfullyverified.

In addition, optionally a determination is made (e.g., by accessing theticket system database) as to whether the ticket is or is not eligiblefor resale. For example, the original ticket issuer may have originallysold the ticket with a restriction preventing resale. By way of furtherexample, there may be governmental restrictions on a ticket resale. Bychecking on whether a resale is permitted or not, the posting system canhonor any such restrictions. Optionally, the verification system willcheck if a single posting includes tickets for non-adjacent seats, andif so, indicates in the response that the tickets for non-adjacent needto be separately posted.

At state 208B, a response to the verification request is transmittedfrom the ticket system to the posting system. The response may includesome or all of the following data:

-   -   ticket identifier assigned by the ticket system;    -   ticket identifier assigned by the posting system (which may be        the ticket barcode information);    -   ticket status (indicating whether the ticket is eligible for        posting);    -   seating section (optionally with a null value if the ticket is a        general admission ticket without an assigned seat);    -   row (optionally with a null value if the ticket is a general        admission ticket without an assigned seat);    -   seat (optionally with a null value if the ticket is a general        admission ticket without an assigned seat);    -   an indication as to whether the ticket is a general admission        ticket without an assigned seat;    -   classification (e.g., indicating with the ticket is a standard        ticket or associated with event parking);    -   price level;    -   ticket type;    -   face value;    -   tax on the seat tickets.

Optionally, the ticket status can include a code and/or human readabletext indicating some or all of the following conditions, when present:

-   -   barcode will not decode;    -   event id mismatch;    -   expired event;    -   event is inaccessible;    -   wrong barcode mode;    -   series seat;    -   general admission ticket;    -   scanned seat;    -   seat type mismatch;    -   reissued ticket;    -   tickets are for non-adjacent seats;    -   account not balanced;    -   account not printed;    -   lock failed;    -   seats are locked;    -   tickets are reserved (indicating that another user is already in        the purchase process for the tickets);    -   cancelled event;    -   tickets already posted;    -   event date has past or insufficient time before event to process        ticket transfer/resale;    -   event is not bar-coded/barcode is invalid;    -   tickets are not fully paid for;    -   tickets are complimentary tickets that may not be resold;    -   ticket holder is restricted from reselling tickets;    -   tickets have already been transferred (without the ticket system        collecting payment from the recipient);    -   tickets have been resold;    -   tickets have added credit assigned;    -   tickets have been transferred to a card;    -   barcode does not belong to the event provided in the request;    -   barcode is invalid/no longer active as a result of a resale        process or other process.

Some or all of the foregoing statuses may indicate to the posting systemthat the tickets are not to be posted for resale.

At state 210B, if the ticket barcode is validated and a determination ismade that the ticket can be resold, the ticket is posted for resale onthe posting system website (or a related site) so that users can viewthe posting and decide whether to purchase the ticket. Optionally, aconfirmation is transmitted back to the ticket system (optionallyincluding a Ticket ID as a reference), which will store an indication asto which tickets are posted for resale and via which posting systemservice. When the ticket holder next visits the ticket system websiteand accesses the ticket holder's ticket listing, the ticket system willdisplay an indication to the ticket holder which tickets have alreadybeen posted for resale and via which posting service/system.

If the barcode was not validated by the ticket system and/or adetermination made that the ticket cannot be resold, a notification isprovided to the ticket holder reporting the foregoing.

Optionally, at state 212B, the ticket system and/or the posting systemtransmits a posting confirmation message to the ticket holder (e.g., viaa Webpage, email, SMS message, MMS message, instant message, orotherwise, optionally using an address provided by the ticket holder inthe ticket holder's account setup or when the ticket holder purchasedthe ticket). For example, the ticket system can transmit theconfirmation message to the email address registered with the ticketsystem at the time of the original ticket purchase or earlier. Then, ifthe real ticket holder did not post the ticket for resale (e.g., where auser is attempting to fraudulently sell a ticket the user does not own),the ticket holder can activate a link included in the email or otherwisecontact the ticket system and/or posting system to cancel the improperposting. The ticket system will store the cancellation command andprevent a sale based on the improper posting.

At state 213B, if a potential buyer begins a purchase process withrespect to the posted ticket(s) (e.g., places the ticket(s) in an onlineshopping cart), the posting system optionally transmits a reservationnotification to the ticket system identifying the tickets (e.g., usingthe barcodes and/or ticket IDs), an event identifier (e.g., previouslyassigned via the ticket system), and a reservation time. The ticketsystem will then place a reservation lock on the corresponding ticketsfor the reservation time (which optionally may be different than therequested reservation time), pending the sale or abandonment of thepurchase. The ticket system optionally transmits a reservationconfirmation message to the posting system.

If the ticket is sold via the posting system, the posting systemoptionally transmits a sold notification to the ticket system at state214B. The sold notification can include a sold indication, acorresponding Ticket ID, and optionally the name/identifier of thepurchaser. The ticket system can store some or all of the notificationinformation in the ticket system database. Thus, the ticket system isaware that the original purchaser no longer owns the ticket andoptionally is aware of the identity of the new owner, who can thensimilarly resell the ticket.

Optionally, still additional information can be transmitted from theposting system to the ticket system. For example, the sold notificationcan include some or all of the following information:

-   -   a sold attribute;    -   a ticket delivery method (e.g., indicating that the ticket        system is to fulfill the request using a specified method, such        as via a print at home ticket downloaded or emailed to the        buyer, via a will call ticket office, via a transmission to the        buyer phone, etc.);    -   an indication that a will call ticket delivery method is to be        used because of a potential fraud risk;    -   an order identifier (e.g., generated by the posting system);    -   buyer billing contact information;    -   seller contact information;    -   settlement information (such as discussed elsewhere herein);    -   ticket request objected to be “exchanged” for new barcodes;    -   barcodes to be “exchanged” for new barcodes;    -   an event identifier.

At state 216B, optionally the ticket system generates a new barcode tobe used on the sold ticket (where the buyer will be issued a ticket withthe same seating rights as the original ticket, but with a differentbarcode). If there are multiple tickets, multiple new barcodes may begenerated. In addition, the ticket system optionally cancels the oldbarcodes, and stores a corresponding cancellation status indication inassociation with the cancelled barcodes. This will prevent someone fromattempting to sell tickets using the cancelled barcodes or fromattempting to enter the event using the cancelled barcodes. The newbarcodes are stored in the ticket system database as active ticketbarcodes. Optionally instead, the original barcode may be used.

At state 218B, the one or more new barcodes are optionally transmittedto the posting system with printing instructions (e.g., so that theposting system can provide tickets with the new barcodes to the buyer).For example, a message including some or all of the following isoptionally transmitted from the ticket system to the posting system:

-   -   newly generated ticket ID for the barcode being printed;    -   status of the ticket (as similarly discussed above);    -   ticket identifier assigned by the posting system (which may be        the ticket barcode information);    -   customer name;    -   event code;    -   name of the event;    -   event date;    -   event time;    -   barcode;    -   seating section (optionally with a null value if the ticket is a        general admission ticket without an assigned seat);    -   row (optionally with a null value if the ticket is a general        admission ticket without an assigned seat);    -   seat (optionally with a null value if the ticket is a general        admission ticket without an assigned seat);    -   an indication as to whether the ticket is a general admission        ticket without an assigned seat;    -   face value;    -   text to be printed on the ticket.

Optionally, at state 220B, the posting system transmits settlementinformation to the ticket system, which the ticket system receivesoptionally then stores in memory for future reference. For example, thesettlement information can include some or all of the following data:

-   -   total amount paid for the sale of the tickets;    -   total amount to be paid to the seller for the sale of the        tickets;    -   seller credit method (e.g., checking, ACH (automated clearing        house), account credit, manual, electronic);    -   encrypted credit card number (which will be stored in        association with the purchased ticket so that the purchaser can        use the corresponding credit card as an identifier when        retrieving the tickets from a “will call” ticket office);    -   credit card expiration date;    -   certificate used to access decryption.

Optionally, in addition to or instead of transmitting the “raw” ticketdata, a ticket image file of the ticket(s) may be transmitted to thethird party reseller/ticket system for visual presentation to the buyer.By way of example and not limitation, the image file may be in pdf, tif,png, bmp, or other format.

Optionally, the ticket holder is charged a fee by the posting system,the verification system, and/or the ticket system for the sale. The feecan be a fixed dollar value or a percentage of a sale price, by way ofexample. The sales information can then be made available to the ticketholder (optionally in substantially real-time) via ticket managementuser interfaces, such as those discussed elsewhere herein.

As discussed above, if a buyer navigates to the posting system website,and places posted tickets in an online shopping cart, the posting systemtransmits a notification to the ticket system identifying the tickets(e.g., using the barcodes and/or ticket IDs), an event identifier (e.g.,previously assigned via the ticket system), and a reservation time. Theticket system then will place a reservation lock on the correspondingtickets for a time period pending the sale or abandonment of thepurchase. Optionally, the posting system can later transmit a message tothe ticket system asking for the reservation to be extended. However, ifthe buyer fails to complete the purchase (e.g., the buyer removes thetickets from the shopping cart, has not completed the purchase within aspecified period of time, navigates away from a certain webpage, orotherwise indicates that the buyer is no longer interested in purchasingthe tickets), the process proceeds to state 224B, and an “unreserved”notification is transmitted by the posting system to the ticket system(e.g., including an unreserved command, the ticket system barcodes, theevent identifier). The ticket system optionally transmits an“unreserved” confirmation message to the posting system.

FIG. 2C illustrates an example barcode verification process, which maybe executed by the verification system. Not all states need to bereached, the process may be performed in a different order, and statesthat are illustrated as being performed serially may be performed inparallel. At state 202C, the verification system receives barcode dataassociated with a ticket. The data may be in the form of text (e.g., analphanumeric code), or may be in the form of a barcode image. If thedata is in the form of a barcode digital image, then barcode decodingsoftware is used to decode the image into corresponding text. Thebarcode data may be received via a ticket resale posting system,directly from the ticket holder, or via a link to the barcode dataprovided by the ticket holder or posting system. In addition, theverification system receives event data and seating data. For example,the event data may include some or all of the following information: andevent identifier (event ID), an event name (which may be a performername for concerts, a team name for sporting events, etc.), an eventdate, an event time, and an event venue. The seating information mayinclude, by way of example, section, row, and seat identifiers, or, fora general admission event, an indication that the ticket is a generaladmission ticket.

At state 204C, the verification system inspects the barcode format, anddetermines whether the barcode is using a valid ticket barcode format.For example, the format may relate to the number of characters, theplacement of start and stop indicators, the use of headers, etc. Inaddition, if a checksum is being used, the barcode data is evaluatedwith respect to the checksum. If, at state 206C, a determination is madethat a valid ticket barcode format is not being used and/or if thechecksum check fails, the verification process returns a verificationfailure message (which may be transmitted to the posting system) atstate 208C. The verification message may include a ticket statusindicating that the barcode will not decode, that the barcode isinvalid, or the wrong barcode mode is being used.

If the format and checksum are satisfactory, the process proceeds tostate 210C. At state 210C, the barcode data is compared with that storedin a ticket database which stores ticket barcodes. Optionally, thebarcode data is only compared with barcodes for tickets for the eventidentified by the ticket holder.

Optionally instead, the barcode data comparison is not limited to ticketbarcodes for the identified event. If a corresponding matching barcodeis found, then the event information associated with the matchingbarcode is compared with the identified event to determine if theymatch.

At state 212C, the verification system determines whether the barcodedata corresponds to a ticket barcode for the corresponding event (e.g.,based on the barcode comparison and/or event comparison). If the barcodedata fails to correspond to a ticket barcode for the correspondingevent, the verification process returns a verification failure message(which may be transmitted to the posting system) at state 214C. Forexample, the verification failure message may include a status code/textindicating that the seating information failed to match, that the eventidentifier failed to match, etc.

If the barcode data corresponds to a ticket barcode for thecorresponding event, the verification process, the process proceeds tostate 216C, and additional ticket status related issues are checked. Forexample, the additional status issues may affect whether or not theticket can be posted by the ticket holder for resale. For example, theverification system may check for some or all of the followingconditions and/or other conditions: whether the event is an expiredevent, whether the event data is inaccessible, whether the ticket is fora series seat, whether the posting is for tickets for non-adjacentseats, whether the seats are already locked and/or reserved, whether theevent has been cancelled, whether the tickets are already posted,whether the event date has past or whether there is insufficient timebefore event to process ticket transfer/resale, whether the tickets havenot been fully paid for, whether the tickets are complimentary ticketsthat may not be resold, whether the ticket holder is restricted fromreselling tickets, whether the barcode is invalid/no longer active as aresult of a resale process or other process, etc.

At state 218C, the verification system transmits a response message tothe posting system, the message including the ticket status informationthat indicates whether the ticket(s) may be posted for resale. Theposting system can then post or not post the tickets in accordance withthe message(s) received from the ticket system.

Optionally, additional data may be used to verify a ticket is authenticand that the user has the right to sell the ticket. For example, theuser may be asked by the resale system to provide the credit card numberof the credit card used to originally purchase the ticket. The creditcard number (received via the user) can then be transmitted to theticket system. The ticket system can then verify whether that creditcard number was used to originally purchase the ticket (e.g., bycomparing the seller provided credit card number with the credit cardnumber stored in a database with an association to the ticket beingsold). If the seller supplied credit card number fails to match thatused to purchase the ticket, then optionally the verification system soindicates via a message transmitted to the posting system.

FIG. 2D illustrates another example process. In this example, a sellerhas posted on a ticket for sale on a website (e.g., a website thatoffers items for sale via auction and/or via fixed price sales) hostedby a posting system. Optionally, rather then the posting systemautomatically requesting barcode/ticket document verification, theseller and/or buyer specifically initiates a verification request. Inaddition, rather than the posting system pushing data to theverification system, the verification system pulls at least certaininformation from the posting system.

At state 202D, the verification system receives a verification requestfrom the buyer and/or seller. The verification request may be initiatedvia a verification request control on a user interface provided fordisplay by the posting website or via a control, optionally on the sameuser interface webpage as the ticket posting. Optionally instead, theverification request may be submitted via a user interface provided fordisplay by the verification system or other related system. Optionally,the requester enters a notification address (e.g., an email address, anSMS address, and instant messaging address) to which the verificationresult is to be provided. The verification request is accompanied by aposting locator. For example, the posting locator may be an address,such as a URL associated with a webpage on which the tickets are postedfor resale. The locator may have been manually entered by the buyer orseller (e.g., by keying in or pasting in the locator address) into alocator field on a form hosted by verification system, or the locatormay have been automatically provided by posting system in response tothe activation of the verification control.

At state 204D, the verification system accesses the location (e.g., thewebpage) associated with the locator address and reads/pulls some or allof the posting information. For example, the verification system mayaccess an image that includes the ticket barcode (which may be an imageof one entire side of the ticket or just of the barcode) and/or textcorresponding to the barcode. In addition, optionally event data and/orseating data is accessed from the location. The verification systemoptionally uses a mapping of tag/field names used by the posting systemin deciding what data to access and/or how the accessed data is to beused.

For example, the verification system may access from its memory apreviously stored mapping of tags/fields for the specific website usedto post the tickets, where the mapping indicates what values areassociated with the tags/fields. By way of example, the posting systemmay use the tag/field name “EventName” to list the name of the ticketedevent. Similarly, the posting system may use the tag/field name“EventDate” to list the date of the ticketed event. By way of furtherexample, the posting system may use the tag/field names “EventCity”,“EventState”, “EventVenue” to respectively list the city, state, andvenue is which the event is scheduled to take place. By way of stillfurther example, the posting system may use the tag/field names“TicketQuantity”, “SeatIdentifier”, and “AskingPrice” to respectivelylist the quantity of tickets being posted, the seat identifiersassociated with a given ticket, and the asking price. Of course, othertags/field names may be used.

At state 206D, the verification system performs a verification process,optionally using the process discussed above with respect to FIG. 2C oroptionally using other techniques described herein. For example, theverification process can use data obtained from the posting webpage anddata from a ticketing database, such as that associated with theoriginal ticket issuing system. At state 208D, the verification systemreturns the results to the seller and/or buyer. For example, the resultsmay be presented on a webpage served via the posting system or theverification system, or transmitted to an address provided by therequester (e.g., an email, SMS, instant messaging address, or via anaudible message to a phone). The results may include some or all of thefollowing information and/or other information:

-   -   an indication as to whether the verification passed or failed        (which is optionally provided without specifically indicating        why the verification passed or failed, and may reflect one or        more reasons as to why the verification passed or failed);    -   an indication as to whether the barcode is a valid barcode;    -   if barcode is valid, an indication as to what event the barcode        is actually associated with (e.g., as determined using data from        the original ticket issuer database), including event name,        city, venue, date, and/or time;    -   if barcode is valid, the actual seat identifier associated with        the barcode (e.g., section/row/seat number associated with the        barcode as determined using data from the original ticket issuer        database);    -   if barcode is valid, the actual face value of the ticket (e.g.,        as determined by a face value accessed from the original ticket        issuer database).

FIG. 3 illustrates an example process for editing a posting, wherein theuser is navigated from the ticket system website to the posting website(associated with a third party) in order to edit a posting, were theposting website is operated by a separate entity than the ticket systemwebsite. At state 302, the user logs into the ticket system via awebsite operated/hosted by the ticket system. At state 304, the useraccesses a ticket management user interface, such as those discussedherein. By way of example, the ticket management may provide the userinterface by serving one or more ticket management web pages. The userselects one or more tickets whose postings are to be edited. The useractivates an “update” control in order to edit the posting for theselected ticket, wherein the selected tickets are posted for sale on athird party website, and the user is re-directed to the third partywebsite to perform the edit.

At state 306, the user entries/selections are received by the ticketsystem, which optionally stores the entries/selections in memory. Atstate 308, the ticket system optionally directs the user browser to atransition page, where the user is informed that user is beingtransitioned to the third party site and/or other information isprovided to the user. If an error occurs during thetransition/redirection process (e.g., because the third party postingsystem is not accessible) the user is so informed via a user interface.

At state 310, the user browser is redirected to the third party postingwebsite, wherein in a login user interface is presented to the user andthe user logs in (e.g., by providing a password/user ID). Optionally theticket holder is automatically logged in, optionally without presentinga log-in user interface.

At state 312, a posting edit user interface hosted by the third partywebsite is presented to the user. At state 314, the user edits theposting (e.g., the asking price, a purchase deadline, the minimum numberof the posted tickets that must be purchased, etc.). Once the user hascompleted the edits (e.g., as indicated by the user activating a “savechanges” control or the like), the changes are saved to the third partywebsite database and the changes are reflected in the posting viewableby potential purchasers.

At a later time, at state 316, the user optionally directly accesses andlogs into the third party website (without going through the ticketsystem website) to make additional edits. The edits are then saved inmemory.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example posting cancellation process, wherein theposting user is navigating from the ticket system website to the thirdparty posting system website in order to performing the cancellationoperation. At state 402, the ticket holder user logs into the ticketsystem and accesses a ticket management user interface. The ticketmanagement user interface lists the tickets the user has posted for salevia the posting system, as similarly described above. At state 404, theuser selects the posted tickets and activates a “cancel” control (e.g.,a soft button, link, or menu selection), which is received, and acancellation indication is optionally stored by the ticket system.

At state 406, a transition user interface is optionally provided fordisplay informing the user that a transition to another operator'swebsite is taking place. Optionally the ticket holder is automaticallylogged in to the user's account with the third party website (e.g.,where the ticket holder browser has the login password and user ID andcan populate the login field). Optionally, the user manually logs intothe posting system.

At state 407, the posting system serves a user interface (e.g., via awebpage) listing the selected tickets, the user interface including acancel control. At state 408, the user activates the “cancel” controlassociated with the selected tickets. The cancel command is received andstored by the posting system. At state 410, the posting system transmitsa notification to the ticket system indicating that the posting for theselected tickets has been cancelled. For example, the notification caninclude some or all of the following information:

-   -   an unlock command;    -   ticket identifiers associated with the cancelled posting;    -   ticket barcodes associated with the cancelled posting;    -   an event identifier (e.g., previously assigned via the ticket        system);    -   an indication as to whether the posting was actively cancelled        by the user or whether the posting expired.

At state 412, the ticket system unlocks the selected ticketed (e.g., byrecording an “unlocked/available” status flag in the ticket systemdatabase), so that the user can transfer or repost the selected ticketsfor sale. The unlock operation may be performed using the ticket IDand/or the ticket barcode to access the corresponding ticket record.Optionally, rather than first accessing the ticket system website andthen being redirected to the posting website, the ticket holder maynavigate directly to the posting website in order to cancel a ticketposting.

Optionally, the ticket system transmits a confirmation to the postingsystem indicating that the cancellation has been noted and that thetickets have been unlocked. For example, the confirmation may includesome or all of the following:

an unlock inventory attribute;

a result indicating whether the posting cancellation/unlock has beensuccessfully performed;

the ticket identifier provided by the posting system in the cancellationnotification;

the barcode provided by the posting system in the cancellationnotification.

The posting system and/or the ticket system optionally transmits acancellation confirmation to the user (e.g., via an email, SMS message,instant message, webpage, etc.).

FIG. 5A illustrates an example ticket management user interfacepresented via the ticket system to a user. The example user interfacelists an event for which the user has tickets (Yankees vs. Pirates). Theexample identifies the seating area (section STND2 Row C) and the seatsfor which the user has tickets. In this example, the user has four seattickets (seat 2, seat 2, seat 3, and seat 4) in section STND2 Row C. Inaddition, related items/seats are listed. In this example, parkingpasses for the Yankees vs. Pirates are listed.

Transaction controls are provided. In this example, a sell control, aforward control, and a transfer and print control are provided.Activation of a transaction control instructs the ticket system as tohow the ticket is to be given/offered to another (e.g., via a salethrough a third party service, via a transfer/gift to a designatedrecipient.

FIG. 5B illustrates an example ticket management user interfacepresented via the ticket system to a user, where certain tickets havealready been posted for resale (e.g., via a third party service and/orvia the ticket system). The data regarding tickets sold by the thirdparty service may have been transmitted to the ticket system from theposting system, as described above.

The example user interface illustrated in FIG. 5B lists an event forwhich the user has tickets (Horrible Hyenas). The example identifies thestatus of seat tickets that the user has previously purchased. In thisexample, the user interface reports (using information from thedatabase) that user tickets for seats 1 and 2 have been sold, and that aticket for seat 3 has been sold for $100. The user interface furtherreports that a ticket for seat 4 is currently posted for sale, and thattickets for seats 5 and 6 are currently posted for sale. In thisexample, update and cancel links/controls are provided for the ticketscurrently posted for sale, via which the user can edit the posting(e.g., change the asking price), or cancel a posting (cancel the offerto sell the ticket).

Optionally, less information and options are provided if the ticket isposted on a third party posting service. Thus, for example, if theticket system determines (via information or lack thereof in the ticketsystem database) that a ticket is posted for sale on a third partyservice, optionally the sale price is not reported for a sold ticket.Similarly, if a ticket is posted for sale on a third party service,optionally the user is not provided with the update or cancel controls(e.g., the user is optionally required to perform any cancellation orupdate via the third party service).

FIG. 5C illustrates yet another example ticket management userinterface, including a field which enables the user to navigate to aspecific event via a drop down menu that lists the events for which theuser purchased tickets. Another field is provided via which the user canselect which seat tickets are to be viewed (e.g., by date, status, ortype). A notation indicates the positioning of the displayed events inthe total number of events, optionally the total within a specifiedperiod of time, (“events showing 18-28 of 28”). If a user activates a“sell” control to sell a ticket via a third party site, a pop-uptransitional user interface page is displayed, notifying the user thatthe user are leaving the ticket system website and is being transitionedto an independent website. An “OK” and “Cancel” controls are providedvia which the user can approve proceeding with the transitions or cancancel the transition to the independent web site.

Optionally, in order to cancel a posting on a third party website, theuser needs to proceed to the third party website, rather than cancel theposting via the ticket system, as similarly described above.

Thus, various example embodiments have been described for validating andverifying documents such as tickets.

Unless otherwise indicated, the functions described herein may beperformed by software (e.g., including modules) including executablecode and instructions running on one or more systems including one ormore computers, such as barcode and/or other authentication computersystems. The software may be stored in computer readable media (e.g.,some or all of the following: optical media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray,etc.), magnetic media (e.g., fixed or removable magnetic media),semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash memory, EPROM, etc.), and/orother types of computer readable media.

The one or more computers can include one or more central processingunits (CPUs) that execute program code and process data, non-transitory,tangible memory, including. for example, one or more of volatile memory,such as random access memory (RAM) for temporarily storing data and datastructures during program execution, non-volatile memory, such as a harddisc drive, optical drive, or FLASH drive, for storing programs anddata, including databases, which may be referred to as a “systemdatabase,” a wired and/or wireless network interface for accessing anintranet and/or Internet, and/or other interfaces.

In addition, the computers can include a display for displaying userinterfaces, data, and the like, and one or more user input devices, suchas a keyboard, mouse, pointing device, microphone and/or the like, usedto navigate, provide commands, enter information, provide searchqueries, and/or the like. However, the systems described herein can alsobe implemented using general-purpose computers, special purposecomputers, terminals, state machines, and/or hardwired electroniccircuits.

While various systems are described herein (e.g., a posting system, averification system, a ticket system, etc.), optionally some are or allof the various systems can be included a single system operated by asingle operator.

While the foregoing examples include reference to barcodes, other typesof codes, including other types of unique codes assigned to eventtickets, may be similarly verified and used to access data stored inmemory, such as in databases. For example, other types of alphanumericand/or machine readable codes may be used.

The example processes described herein do not necessarily have to beperformed in the described sequence, and not all states have to bereached or performed.

Unless the context otherwise indicates, the term “field” with respect toa user interface or form is intended to refer to a user entry mechanismvia which the user can input data or commands, such as a text field, amenu via which the user can make a selection, etc.

Throughout the description herein, the term “website” is used to referto a user-accessible server site that implements basic and/or otherWorld Wide Web standards for the coding and transmission of documents,such as hypertextual documents. These standards currently include HTML(the Hypertext Markup Language), which can be used to generate Webpages,and HTTP (the Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It should be understood thatthe term “site” or “computer system” are not intended to imply a singlegeographic location, as a Web or other network site can, for example,include multiple geographically-distributed computer systems that areappropriately linked together. Furthermore, while the followingdescription relates to an embodiment utilizing the Internet and relatedprotocols, other networks, such as a network of interactive televisions,wireless phones, and other protocols, may be used as well.

Various embodiments provide for communications between one or moresystems (e.g., a verification system, a posting system, etc.) and one ormore users (e.g., a purchaser and/or seller). These user communicationsmay be provided to a user terminal (e.g., an Interactive television, aphone, a video game system, a laptop/desktop computer, a deviceproviding Internet access, or other networked device). For example,communications may be provided via Webpages, downloaded documents,email, SMS (short messaging service) message, MMS (multimedia messagingservice) message, other forms of electronic communication text-to-speechmessage, otherwise. Commands and data received by the verificationsystem and the posting system from a user are stored in memory andprocessed and transformed as discussed herein.

Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certainembodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in theart that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosedembodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of theinvention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Inaddition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shownand described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scopeof this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the artbased upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that variouscombinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects ofthe embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of theinvention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various featuresand aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with orsubstituted for one another in order to form varying modes of thedisclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the presentinvention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particulardisclosed embodiments described above.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of verifying a barcode, comprising:receiving, at a ticket posting system, the ticket posting systemincluding at least one computing device, a ticket transfer request by afirst user, the ticket transfer request including barcode data and seatdata associated with a ticket; transmitting a verification request overa network to a verification system, the verification request includingthe barcode data and the seat data; receiving, at the ticket postingsystem, an indication of validity of the barcode data for the seat data;indicating that the ticket is transferable by the first user; enablingthe first user to transfer the ticket; transmitting a request for a newbarcode over the network to a barcode issuing system; receiving, overthe network, from the barcode issuing system, the new barcode; andtransferring the ticket, with the new barcode to a second user.
 2. Themethod as defined in claim 1, wherein the request for the new barcodeincludes an indication that the ticket is being transferred.
 3. Themethod as defined in claim 1, wherein the ticket transfer requestfurther includes event data associated with the ticket.
 4. The method asdefined in claim 1, wherein the barcode data is received via a camera ora barcode scanner.
 5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein thebarcode verification causes a lock to be placed on the ticket at leastpartly in response to receiving an indication that a ticket transferprocess has been initiated.
 6. The method as defined in claim 1, whereinthe verification system and the ticket posting system are operated by adifferent entities.
 7. The method as defined in claim 1, furthercomprising invalidating the barcode data.
 8. A barcode verificationsystem, comprising: a ticket posting system, the ticket posting systemconfigured to receive a ticket transfer request by a first user, theticket transfer request including barcode data and seat data associatedwith a ticket; a verification system configured to receive averification request over a network, the verification request includesthe barcode data and the seat data, wherein the verification system isconfigured to: provide an indication of validity of the barcode data forthe seat data; provide an indication that the ticket is transferable bythe first user; and enable the first user to transfer the ticket; and abarcode issuing system configured to receive a request for a new barcodeover the network and issue the new barcode associated with the ticket,wherein the new barcode is transferrable to a second user.
 9. The systemas defined in claim 8, wherein the new barcode request includes anindication that the ticket is being transferred.
 10. The system asdefined in claim 8, wherein the ticket transfer request further includesevent data associated with the ticket.
 11. The system as defined inclaim 8, wherein the barcode data is received via a camera or barcodescanner.
 12. The system as defined in claim 8, wherein the barcodeverification causes a lock to be placed on the ticket at least partly inresponse to receiving an indication that a ticket transfer process hasbeen initiated.
 13. The system as defined in claim 8, wherein theverification system and the ticket posting system are operated by adifferent entities.
 14. A computer program product residing on anon-transitory processor-readable medium and comprising processorreadable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:receive, at a ticket posting system, the ticket posting system includingat least one computing device, a ticket transfer request by a firstuser, the ticket transfer request including barcode data and seat dataassociated with a ticket; transmit a verification request over a networkto a verification system, the verification request including the barcodedata and the seat data; receive, at the ticket posting system, anindication of validity of the barcode data for the seat data; indicatethat the ticket is transferable by the first user; enable the first userto transfer the ticket; transmit a request for a new barcode over thenetwork to a barcode issuing system; receive, over the network, from thebarcode issuing system, the new barcode associated with the ticket; andtransfer the ticket to a second users with the new barcode;
 15. Thecomputer program as defined in claim 14, wherein the request for the newbarcode includes an indication that the ticket is being transferred. 16.The computer program as defined in claim 14, wherein the ticket transferrequest further includes event data associated with the ticket.
 17. Thecomputer program as defined in claim 14, wherein the barcode data isreceived via a camera or barcode scanner.
 18. The computer program asdefined in claim 14, wherein the barcode verification causes a lock tobe placed on the ticket at least partly in response to receiving anindication that a ticket transfer process has been initiated.
 19. Thecomputer program as defined in claim 14, wherein the verification systemand the ticket posting system are operated by a different entities. 20.The computer program as defined in claim 14, further comprisinginstructions configured to cause one or more processors to cause toinvalidate the barcode data.